Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-08-26

noble purpose with which nv Sol,
was tillad? Dead dead and buried
>beneath q crust OF selfishness!'' ~
outhful folIies, answered Jenifer
gone the way Of Ell such early fanciea
Why do you prosecute me? Have
stolen, or murdered, or lived unclean
Tyr Have not kept to my work AMI
is?'' ..' 7s' "a.
sit is true" said the other. s'th,
commandmentsyou have not broken
but where are the hearts you hav,
helped to bind up? How many hav
you helped by Your example? Rather
have you not by daily carelessness
by dryness of spirit, by perfunctor,
performance of your duty, quenchet
the light that was, aye, God knows i
was in me? And in doing so 20,
have wounded many another. Their,
are sinners who slay the body, bu
you have slain your own soul; anl
woe be to him of whom this can b,
said"
Jenefer laughed in scorn.
"When | was what you are all thi!
would have had it's terrors for me
now ! am not to be frightened will
false fire. Iknow what you are, wht
think to scare me thus-an illusion O
the brain, q disturbance in the nerv
Gus system. Come daylight, and thi.
willsbe as if it had never been"
But the other with the sad anc
youthful eyes looked ut him in sor
row, and said; -
"Even in your blindness you speal
the truth: for when you were as am
ere the world had dimmed your sight
you would have seen the precipice or
which you stand. Oh, brother ofSme
though how degraded! give up yon1
dreams OF selfish future; turn bacl
while yet you may; use the wealth
that mas come to you, not for your
self only, but for others. Redeem tn,
time that is left to you, and bring tt
happier second life the promises
the aspirations OF your youth" !
"Begone!" said Jenifer. Ell not ar
illusion, then you are an accomplic:
IN some conspiracy to betray me into
rash VOW. Did you and the ole
man who is in his grave plan it be
tween you and laugh to think how
you would scare your foolish dupei
Away from me! and donot hope tc
work your will. Ihave inherited, anc
I will enioy!"
"Nay," then. said his DOUBLE" SET
to what an end your enjoyment shall
bring you. I, whom you have destroy
ed, am what you were; see now what
you shall be-"
Then tor an awful moment the par.
son knew that not only, he himself
stood there with the spirit of his once
pure and earnest-hearted youth beside
him but a third and dreadful shape
himself as he should be, if no hand oil
grace staid his downward course.
The lightning fash of awakened per-
ceptlon showed him his own old age,
where that whichshe had called econo,
myhad grown to averice, where callous.
ness had become cruelty-discontent,
envy-carelessness, impiety. He saw
himself, degraded, mean. despicable,
bad, without affections, without ten.
derness, without hope, and as the
horror OF it swept over him with resist
less force, Clement Jenifer-the lev
crust of years OF life for self broken at
last-fell upon his face, with the agon-
lied cry OF the apostle of old, "Who
shall deliver me from the body Of
this death?" -
When he came to himself he was in
the quaint old sitting room in his new
home. The fire had burned low, and
only dlmly illumined the room, but as
ne gazed into the glowing embers a
hitherto unkindled log broke into
flame, and as it leaped and flickered
the scroll which he had before remark
Cd and failed to decipher caught and
threw back the yellow light, and Mr..
Jenifer read in letters of gold the
poets words
Nor deem the irrevocable past
AS wholly wasted, wholly vain,
Ii. rising on it's wrecks, at last
10 something nobler wo attain.''
He sank on his knees, and there in
contrition of spirit and anguish of
soul dedicated anew to his Maker the
years that should be granted to him,
the wealth that he had inherited
himself, body soul, and spirit, for
evermore.
People; said afterward that pros
perity had been good for Mr.. Jenifer,
that it had made him softer, more
compassionate. more tender. He
alone knew that the vision he had
seen had come only just in time to
save him from that utter ruin of soul
to which he was tending; and when he
thought, as many q time he did. OF
that awful night. he bowed his head
in contrite humility, and gave thanks
tor the warning that had been sent
him.-Temple Bar.